Candy cotton forming machine



y 1931. A B. MOAD 1,806,111

CAMP Y COTTON FORMING MACHINE iirined Sept. 10. 1929 Patented May 19, 1931 BUREN' MOAD, OF TOLEDO, OHIO CANDY oo'r'ron FORMING -MAGI-IINE Application filed September My invention has-for itsobject to provide an eflicient means for producing candy" cotton and which is so constructedthat carbonizafti'on' of the sugar used in the formation of the candy will be entirely eliminated and the revolving cotton forming member 'may be rotated at an Iexceedingly'high speed without danger of fracture or the member. The invention also provides a means for making electrical connection with the heater located in the rotatable member and for regulating the supply of current through the a electric motor that rotates the rotatable member and the heater located in the rotatable' member. 7

The invention may be contained in structures that vary in their details and, to illustrate a practical application of theinvention I have selected structure containing the invention as an example of the various forms of structures that embody the invention, and shalldescribe the structure selected hereinafter. The structure selected is shown in the accompanying drawings. L.

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the candy cotton forming machine. Fig. 2 is a view of a vertical section through a part of the machine shown in Fig.1. I Fig. 3 is a view of a section of one side of the partof the sugar spinning member. Fig. 4: is adiagram of the electric connections of the motor that operates the spinner and of the heater located within the spinner. Fig. 5 illustrates a view of a section ofa part of the machine and. shows a top View of the brushes that make connection between the heat coil of the spinner and the external circuit. Fig. 6 is a top view of a part of the heat coil and illustrates' the means for connecting theend of the heat coilto prevent short circuitingjand at the same time to prevent carboni'zation'at the ends of the heat coil. Fig. 7 illustrates a cross section of theheat coil when flattened to form. Fig. 8 illustrates a view of the heat coil wound preparatory to flattening. Fig. 9 illustrates a side view of the heat coil showing the l'atticed apertures.

The candy cotton machine has a pedestal 1 that is provided with-a relatively large base 2 in which is located the electric motor 10, 1929. Serial No. 391,637.

. 3 that is connected to theporcelained sheet metal spinner 4 by means of a spindle 5 and a plate 6. A bowl 7 is supported on the top of the pedestal 1 so as to surround and contain the spinner a and provide for the collection of the candy cotton that is produced by rotating the spinner 4 at a high rate of rotation. The base 2, beinglar'ge, afi'ords a means for preventing creeping of the ma chine With reference toa supporting table on which it may be placed. j V a The bowl"? may be secured intermediate a flange 10 anda sleeve 11 which is threaded onto the upper end of the pedestal 1. l/Vithin the sleeve 11 is located the electrical contacts that complete the connection between the rotating spinner 1 and the external circuit. A plate 12 is connected to the upper end of the pedestal 1. A pin 13 is secured to the plate 12 and a pair of arms 14; are pivotally supported on the pin 13. The arms 14 are provided with arcuate contacts 15 that fit opposite sides otthe surface of the ring 16 that is insula'tingly supported on the upper end of the spindle 5. The contacts 15 be formed of'carbonace'ous material of the type commonly used, and are located on opposite sides to prevent arcing by reason of any vibration that may be set up in the spindle 5 which rotates at a very high speed. Any lateral movement of the ring 16 will cause increased contact pressure with one or the other of the arcuate contacts 15 and thus there will be maintaineda substantially uniform contact pressure between the contacts 15 and the ring 16,- notwith- Y standing any vibration of the spindle5. 'The contactpressure will be maintained by means of the tension spring 17 that interconnects the ends of the arms 1 1 on the side of the ring 16 opposite tothat on which the pin 13 is located.'

The ringlG is connected to one of the ends of the heat coil 20' located within the spinner 4'. The other end of the heat coil 20 is connected to the ring 21. Arcuate contacts 22 are located in contact with the ring 21 and on opposite sides thereof and are supported in the arms 23. The arms 23 are plate 24 which is supported in the sleeve 11.

The contacts 22 are supported in the arms'Q-B and are interconnected bya spring in the same manner that the contacts 15 are supported in the arms 14, and the arms are in band spirulate in form and flattened to produce, in cross section, an are substantially in length the same as the length of the radian of the are which produces a latticed appearance as shown in Fig. 9.- The edgesof contiguous turns being located in close proximity to each other and the opposite sides of the turns crosslng each other to form minute openings through the lattice construction thus produced, the openings, however, being in surfaces that curve and the center of each arcuatesection, taken on a plane in which the axis of the machine is .located being located in the. plane at right angles to the chord connectingthe ends of the are of the section as shown in Figs. 7

and 8.

The heater is located within the spinner member 4. The spinner member 4 is a channeled member that is formed from sheet metal by die pressing it to shape to form a continuous annular non-joineo member having a centralweb 30 and the flanges 31. The depth of tne channel thus formed being substantially the same, or preferably greater than the width of the bottom of the channel formed, by the web 80. The flanges 31 are located in parallel planes and the bottom is circular in form. he channel is so formed that its cross section in a plane through the center of the member such that the bottom of the channel is arcuate, the are havin a length substantially-that of the length or the radian of the arc, and joined by curved portions 32 with the flai'igcs 31. The width'of the interior ofthe bot tom 30 is substantially the same as the width of the heater 20 and a curvature of the web of the channel member is substantially the same as the curvature of the cross section of the heater 20. The bottom of the spinner member 4 is provided with a pluralityof-slots 33that extend diagonally with re spect to the parallel flanges and so as to form spaces through which the candy cotton may pass and also form supporting parts for the fiexibleband of which the heater is formed to maintain the heater in position against the centrifugal force that prevent retention of any of the molten sugar.

The spinner 4 is connected to the spindle 5 by'means of the plate 6 which is secured by means of a threaded washer 85. 'The plate 6 has a raised central portion 36 whichv fits the inner edge of the lower flange 31 of the spinner member 4. -A cover plate 37 is located on the top of the spinner. It has a depressed channel portion 88 that fits within and depends below the inner edge of thenpper flange3l of the spinner 4. The cover'plat'e 37 is provided with a central opening 39through which sugar may be inserted into the interior of the parts formed by the plates 6 and 37 and the spinner member 4. lVhen the spindle 5 is rotated at a high speed, and the heater 20 is'rendered hot by an electric current, the sugar is melted and as it is melted it escapes through the openings formed by the latticing of'the opposite sides of the curved spirulate band that forms the heat coil and, by reason of the centrifugal force and the shape of the heat bandand supporting web of the spinner member, the. candy cotton will be formed through-'theslots of the spinner member and. carbonization of the sugar will be prevented becauseof the curvature of the sec tion of the bottom of the spinner member and ofthe heat coil, since all of the hotter and, consequently the less viscous, sugar will,

by the centrifugal force, work out through the central parts of the heat coil in advance of carbonization. The-curvedcorners 32 of the spinner member'and theqcurved edges ofthe flattened spirulated heat coils prevents the collection of melted sugar at these points, and, consequently, prevents the carbonization of the sugar at these points or.

The outer surface 49 of the block and theedge of the tongue 47- conform to the shape of the "cross section of the heater coil 20, that is, to the curvature. of these parts. Owing tovthe fact that the block 46 overlaps relativelylong end portions of the coil 20, and also owing to the outward inclination of the surfaces 48 of the block 46, the radii of the spinner member extending to the surfaces, collection of melted sugar is prevented at the outer side of the block 46 and between the block and the heater, and, consequently, carbonization of the sugar is prevented about the block.

In order to provide for variation in electric conditions obtainable in various fair grounds and places of amusement, the device is provided with a combined rheostat for connecting the motor with the various sources of supply found in such places. This is indicated in the diagram shown in Fig. 4. A rheostat 55 is connected to a source of supply by means of a wire 56. A movable contact 57 is connected to a second rheostat 58 and its movable arm 59 is connected to the motor 3 which is in turn connected to the source of supply through the wires 60. Thus, the rheostats 55 and 58 are connected in series with the motor. This enables various quantities of current to pass through the motor and also enables the adjustment of the voltage impressed on the motor to obtain with accuracy the potential dilference for which the motor is particularly designed. By operation of the arm 57 of the rheostat 55, relatively wide variations of resistance may be inserted in the circuit of the motor, while through the rheostat 58 may be secured, by the operation of the contact arm 59, variations in the resistance within the amounts defined by the resistance coils of the rheostat 55. Thus exact 1. In a candy cotton machine, a spinner,

member formed channel-shape and having a bottom curved in its cross section and joined with the flanges by curved portions, the bottom of the channel having slots extending from the curved portion of the top to the curved portion of the bottom of the spinner member,a heat coil formed of a flattened spirulate band arcuate in cross section and resting against the curved interior surface of the spinner member, and means for electrically connecting the ends of the band with the source of supply of electric current.

2. In a candy cotton machine, a spinner member formed channel-shape and having a bottom curved in its cross section and joined with the flanges by curved portions, the bottom of the channel having slots 6X tending from the curved portion of the top to the curved portion of the bottom of the spinner member, a heat coil formed of a flattened spirulate band resting against the curved interior surface of the spinner member, a pair of rings connected to the band, a pair of arcuate contacts for making contact with the flanges by curved portions, the

bottom of the channel having slots extend- I ing from'the curved portion of the top to the curved portion of the bottomot the spinner member, a heat coil formed of a flatu tened spirulate band resting against the curved interior surface of the spinner member, a pair of rings connected to the band, a pair of arcuate contacts for making contact with each of the said rings, a pair of arms for supporting each pair of contacts, a pin for pivotally supporting the arms to locate the contacts on opposite sides of the ring, a tension spring for connecting the ends of the arms together for elastically pressing the contacts on opposite sides of each ring, an elect-rlc motor for rotatmg the spinner member, and a pair of rheostats connected in series with each other and with the motor for adjusting the flow of the current to the motor.

4. In a candy cotton machine, an annular spinner member, means for rotating the spinner member, the spinner member having a channel, the channel comprising a bottom part and a pair of flanges extending along the said bottom part of the channel and located in planes substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the spinner member, the section of the said bottom part .1.

in the plane of the axis of rotation of the spinner member being arcuate in form and having a length substantially equal to that of the radius of curvature of the said section,

the bottom of the channel having slots for the movement of the candy cotton from the spinner ,member, the said flanges having curved portions between the said bottom part and the body parts of the flanges to prevent the collection of the hot sugar at the corners of the said channel.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

BUREN MOAD. 

